Trolling tube



Dec. 18, 1962 F. P. HOPKINS 3,068,606

TROLLING TUBE Filed Nov. 10. 1959 lsrQ Q15 United States Patent Ofitice 3,008,606 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,068,606 TROLLING TUBE Frank Paul Hopkins, 1315 Cleveland-Massillon Road, Copley, Ohio Filed Nov. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 852,103 3 Claims. (Cl. 43-4.).1)

This invention relates to an improved trolling tube for either deep or shallow trolling. Such tubes are about /2 inch in diameter to 1 inch or more. A downwardly directed skid on the tube prevents the tube from sinking to the bottom of a body of water when in use.

The tube is of any usual design and is of any usual composition. The front end is beveled so that it slopes backwardly from the bottom to the top at an angle between about 30 and 60 degrees, and preferably about 45 degrees, so that the tube tends to level off as it is drawn through the water. The back end of the tube can be cut off straight or at any slanting angle. Means is provided for attaching both a trolling line and a lure to the tube. The tube is preferably made of copper, but can be made of other metal or plastic. -It can be shaped from a flat sheet or extruded.

The skid is preferably a stiff wire of such composition that it can be bent to any desired shape. It is usually from 6 to 12 inches long and preferably about 8 inches long. A longer wire skid may be used if bent to an effective length of 6 to 12 inches. Other skid means can be employed for keeping the tube about 6 to 12 inches off the bottom of the body of water.

The invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a side view of the tube and skid;

FIG. 2 is a top view; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view.

The tube 5 is preferably seamless and composed of copper or other non-corrodible metal. It is immaterial Whether the rear end 6 of the tube is cut off perpendicularly, or at an angle, but the front end 7 is beveled and slopes back from the bottom to the top at an angle of about 45 degrees.

The bottom of the tube, which is about %-inch in diameter, is shown as being provided with a hole 9 at the rear in which is the ring 10 for attachment of a lure. The ring can be omitted and other means for attaching a lure to the tube may be used.

At the front of the tube is the skid 12. It is preferably a piece of stiff, bendable wire the upper end 13 of which is welded to the bottom of the tube. It may be fastened to the tube in any desired manner at any suitable place between the front of the tube and the place at which the trolling line is fastened to the tube. The skid wire is stiff enough to prevent the tube from sinking to the bottom of the water when trolling. It may, for example, measure 8 inches from the tube to its bottom end. A longer or shorter wire may be used, as desired, depending upon the distance which the tube is to be kept off of the bottom of the body of water. Although the wire is advantageously directed perpendicularly downwardly, it may be slanted, and in this case it will normally be slanted toward the rear.

For deep trolling the line is preferably attached to the ring 15 which is slightly forward of the center of the top of the tube and may, for example, be one-third of the distance from the front edge 7 to the rear edge 6. For shallow trolling, the line is preferably fastened to the front ring 18 to more readily keep the tube substantially horizontal with a shorter line.

As the tube is drawn through the water in trolling it automatically positions itself in a substantially horizontal position in the direction of travel. The skid 12 prevents the tube from sinking to the bottom of the water. Although it is customary to add an extra weight to a line when trolling deep with a tube, no extra weight is required if the skid is of proper weight. For instance, if the tube is copper tubing 3 /2 to 4 inches long and about A; inch in diameter, and the skid is copper wire about 7 inch in diameter and about 8 inches long, no extra weight is required.

When trolling or reeling in a line, the skid causes little resistance. The lure, which is preferably attached to the loose ring 10 and is located about 4 feet or somewhat more behind the tube, is held down at all trolling speeds.

When the skid makes contact with the bottom of the body of water, the fisherman can sense it through his reel and rod. He then knows that the tube is properly located and that the lure will travel just above the bottom of the water. In trolling, when the skid 12 strikes an obstruction on the bottom of the body of water, the tube will tip up anud the lure will follow it over the obstruction, usually without snagging.

If it is desired to have the tube travel closer to the bottom than the extended skid permits, the skid is bent. It may be bent in a straight line to the rear, but is preferably curled back under the tube. It may be curled to a half circle, bringing the bottom end of the skid near to or in touch with the rear of the tube.

In addition to keeping the tube off the bottom of the body of water, it gives added weight to the front of the tube, making it dive deeper and travel nearer the bottom of the body of water, and the line drawing the tube travels in a position more nearly perpendicular to the bottom of the body of water so that less line is out.

The tube can be used with any type of lure and with any of the usual fishing accessories.

The invention is covered in the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A straight trolling tube having a front end which is beveled from the bottom backwardly to the top so as to provide a beveled edge at the front end thereof, and including means for the attachment of atrolling line to the top of the tube near the beveled edge, which tube has a downwardly directed stiff skid extending downwardly therefrom in front of said means for the attachment of a trolling line, which skid prevents the tube sinking to the bottom of a body of water when used for trolling therein.

2. The trolling tube of claim 1 in which the skid is a stiff, bendable wire attached to said front end of the tube.

3. A straight trolling tube having a front end which is beveled at an angle of about 45 degrees from the bottom backwardly to the top thereof, with a stiff, bendable wire fastened to said front end of the tube and extending downwardly therefrom, there being means at the bottom of the opposite end of the tube for the attachment of a lure thereto, and two rings fastened to the top of the tube, one of said rings being very near said front end of the top and the other being in front of the center of the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,499,819 Goble July 1, 1924 1,599,763 Head Sept. 14, 1926 1,710,908 Vereecken Apr. 30, 1929 2,484,747 Russell Oct. 11, 1949 2,542,347 Muller Feb. 20, 1951 2,569,465 Farr Oct. 2, 1951 2,659,995 Hagstrom Nov. 24, 1953 2,787,077 Keiter Apr. 2, 1957 2,843,965 Whitbeck July 22, 1958 2,940,207 Scott June 14, 1960 

